washington politics

A Republican coalition has a narrow margin of control in the Washington state Senate. Democrats hope to change that. Millions of dollars are pouring into key races around the state. Just who’s trying to buy your vote?

The 45th legislative district cuts an arc through Kirkland, Woodinville and Sammamish on Seattle’s east side. More money has flooded into this district trying to influence who gets elected state senator here, than anywhere else in Washington. More than two million dollars at last count.

The 2014 election is about six weeks away. That means campaigns are kicking into high gear. And asking their funders to help them cross the finish line. Olympia Correspondent Austin Jenkins sifted through dozens of invitations to fundraisers. He gives us a flavor of the campaign events happening Washington.

An outside review was strongly critical of the Seattle Police Department’s planning and communication during last year’s May Day demonstrations. Police officials say they’ll be much better prepared as May Day approaches this year. But the report also recommended that SPD and the city attorney adopt a strategy to deal with self-declared “superheroes.”

Last night’s election put Washington’s electoral map on display. For the most part, western counties near the Puget Sound voted one way, while Eastern Washington voted more conservative on the issues of same-sex marriage, legalizing marijuana and in the race for governor.

In the presidential race, we hear a lot about the electoral map and the math to winning the presidency. It’s all about swing states like Ohio and Florida. At the state level, there’s no electoral college. The candidate with the most votes wins. But there’s still a formula for victory.